SA

THEDELEGATE

#1SAIMUN 2019, MONDAY APRIL 15TH

Welcome Delegates!Welcome to this year’s St Andrew’s Col-lege Model United Nations Conference! Over the next four days and for the elev-enth year, the Royal Marine Hotel will be kindly hosting the 31st SAIMUN confer-ence. This week, more than 600 Del-egates, (and approximately one hundred Press, Admin and IT staff), from 21 coun-tries will take part in SAIMUN.

Debates will be created, debated and wrestled with in committee and in Gen-eral Assembly. At SAIMUN 2019, we are welcoming students from countries across the globe: U.A.E, Netherlands, Greece, Ireland, France, USA, Georgia, Turkey, Austria, Peru, Macedonia, the UK, Ugan-da, Germany, Bahrain, Finland, Romania and South Africa. Delegates from these countries represent 93 United Nations members from Finland to Venezuela, and Switzerland to Argentina.

Eight committees will be in action this week (here come the acronyms): DIS-EC, ECOFIN, SOCHUM, SPECPOL, ECOSOC, Environment, Security Coun-cil, and the Special Conference on Sci-ence and Technology. The ICJ will also be sitting. Some of the key issues that will be addressed in our eight committees include geopolitical identity in Eastern Europe, conscientious objection to military service, the role of social media in elec-tion campaigns, the rise in cybercrime, the protection of peatlands and the ques-tion of Yemen.

Editions of The Delegate will be circu-lated throughout the conference, and are also available from members of the Press team during the course of the con-ference. We, at The Delegate, will aim to give you an insight into the daily events at the conference and on the broader, global issues which SAIMUN addresses. Additionally, we have all the gossip and all the puzzles to keep you occupied dur-ing the long speeches this week!

BY PAMELA FITZSIMONS

Remember to follow us on Twitter

@SaimunDublin19

and Instagram

@standrewsmun

PG 2ARTICLE SAIMUN 2018

To Vax or not to Vax?The question of scepticism towards the ad-ministration of vaccines (ECOSOC)

The last century has seen spectacular innova-tions in the worlds of science and medicine. Breath-taking advances in technology mean we can now print organs, give the paralysed the ability to walk again and double life expec-tancies for illnesses which not long ago would have been a death sentence. The advent of vaccinations is one such achievement - in 2000 the United States declared measles officially eradicated and until recently diseases such as mumps and polio had become a matter of his-tory, their devastating impacts wiped from our collective memory. However, in the shadow of this memory lapse a different and just as deadly virus has spread: anti-vaccine propaganda and vaccine misinformation. As a result, parents are skipping crucial vaccines for their children. And, as the number of unvaccinated children grows, a number of vaccine-preventable diseases are making a comeback.

So what are the reasons behind this sudden rejection of decades of medical advancement? The answer begins back in 1998 when the well-respected academic journal the Lancet published a now completely disproven study that claimed to have found a link between au-tism and the MMR vaccine. The author of the study, the now disgraced former gastroenter-ologist, Andrew Wakefield was found to have completely fabricated his findings, and as a result lost his UK medical licence for ‘unethical conduct’. The paper was retracted in 2010 but the damage had already been done. A signifi-cant section of the public had come to establish a link between vaccines and developmental disorders in children. The unfortunate timing of the article, published alongside the emergence of popular internet culture, meant that the article could, and did, spread like wildfire in the wild-west of the internet. There are now countless blogs, Facebook groups, YouTube channels and Pinterest Boards dedicated to the spread of anti-vaccine propaganda. These groups target new mothers, creating fictional horror stories about the supposed harm vaccines do to chil-dren, taking advantage of the instinctive desire

in all parents to protect their children from harm. Such emotionally manipulative tales of childhood maladies can race up Amazon bestseller lists, while spreading mistrust of medical science.

The consequences of these falsehoods are al-most as calamitous as the diseases they encour-age. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of children who are unvaccinated has quadrupled since 2001, with vaccination rates plummeting by 70% at the height of the Wakefield controversy. The World Health Organization now lists vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 global health threats of 2019, alongside Ebola and HIV. This comes as no surprise when one considers not only the re-cent outbreak of mumps in Ireland, which culmi-nated in a total of 451 mumps cases in colleges and schools on Dublin’s Southside, but also the current measles epidemic in New York, the effects of which have been so disastrous as to prompt the mayor of New York to declare a state of emergency.

Vaccinations are necessary in ensuring the safety of the most vulnerable in our society. Eve-ryone from cancer patients, to premature babies, to the elderly and weak rely on the concept of herd immunity to protect their fragile immune systems from diseases which, to them, would be fatal. It is for this reason that we need to band together. To make a herd, you need to believe in the imagined collective: to be concerned not only about oneself, but the others in the com-munity. We must educate worried parents about the benefits of vaccinations and hold to account technology companies who facilitate the sharing of such perilous propaganda. We must vaccinate our entire society against the poison of the anti-vax brigade.

BY LILY BOHAN

PG 3ARTICLE SAIMUN 2018

Where to eat and what to do in Dun Laoghaire! There are loads of nice cafes and breakfast places in Dun Laoghaire that will certainly keep you going during Committee. The Gourmet Food Parlour is a brilliant spot for a tasty breakfast and has a great menu on of-fer: eggs however you want them, pancakes and the Full Irish of course. It’s a bit more expensive than normal, but is worth it for the high-quality grub (Lunch is also available). For a little less money, you can go down the main street for about 5 minutes until you reach the Sunshine Cafe. Here you will find a solid breakfast menu with loads of sweet stuff on offer as well. There is also a McDon-alds two minutes away from the gates of the Royal Marine which serves breakfast until 10:30. You know what you’re getting and it’s super cheap. There is also breakfast served in the hotel until 10 or so.

SAIMUN provide lunch from Tuesday to Thursday at the conference. However, if you insist on treating yourself there are plenty of delicious spots for lunch, all within ten minutes of the Royal Marine. Nandos is directly opposite the gates of the hotel and offers a great menu of traditional Portuguese magic. It is famous for its Piri-Piri chicken and I personally love the wings (Dinner also available). Pricewise, you’ll end up spend-ing €12 but it will be worth it. Another great lunch spot is Itsa Bagel. Quick and cheap they have a great takeaway menu. Kyoto is a popular spot that offers great Asian food for good value. It’s only 5 minutes from the conference and can be eaten in or takeaway. Finally, the classic Centra is right beside the Royal Marine and has the celebrated €5 deal on offer: chicken fillet roll, crisps and a can of Coke. For delegates staying in and around Dun Laoghaire, there is a myriad of great res-taurants available for dinner. Mao is a high-quality Asian fusion restaurant that offers healthy and delicious food. If it’s a nice even-ing you can get takeaway and eat outside

in the sun or you can eat in and watch the chefs burn their eyebrows off. If you’re looking for pizza, Bits and Pizzas is only a five minute walk from the Royal Marine and has loads of decent Italian-ish food on offer. Takeaway is available. If you’re will-ing to spend a bit more, the Fish Shack is where I would recommend. Overlooking Dublin Bay, you can eat the best of Irish seafood and go for a legendary Teddy’s ice cream afterwards. Alternatively, if you want a night in, there are loads of takeaway restau-rants in the vicinity. For minimum hassle, download Just Eat and order from it! You can get up to all sorts of things in Dun Laoighaire after the long day of debating ends. Walking either the East or the West Pier is always a relaxing experience, giving sweeping views of the Dublin coastline. Followed by a Teddy’s Ice Cream of course! You can also go see a movie in Dun Laoghaire Cinema, which has 6 screens on offer. There are two shopping centres available: Dun Laoghaire Centre and Bloomfields Shopping Centre. Both are borderline falling down, but contain a range of retail stores and supermarkets. The Main Street also has plenty of clothes stores and shops. All in all, Dun Laoghaire has loads to offer and I hope this guide helps you to navigate it.

Things to do in Dun Laoghaire

BY SHANE HYNES

PG 4ARTICLE SAIMUN 2018

The St Andrew’s Model United Nations pro-gramme runs nearly the duration of the whole school year and involves groups participating in conferences both at home and abroad. The high-light of the year is our own conference where we host nearly 700 delegates from as far afield as South Africa, the Middle East and the USA. From humble beginnings, it is an event that has grown in size, stature and reputation and to facilitate the large number of schools that wish to attend, the event is now held at the Royal Marine Ho-tel, Dun Laoghaire. At all conferences students come together and share their interest for in-ternational affairs, the art of diplomacy, and the principles of the United Nations. Representing countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, they gather to discuss some of the most pressing and intriguing problems that confront the world today. Together, they engage in lively debate, searching for solutions to the complex conundrums of con-temporary international politics; and in doing so, hone and perfect their skills of diplomacy, debate and public speaking.

But what is the MUN? The MUN aims to be an authentic simulation of the United Nations – complete with Security Council, General Assem-bly, an ECOSOC committee as well as a wide range of other sub-committees, a Secretariat headed by the Secretary General, a Press Corp and of course the delegates.

For the duration of a Model United Nations conference, every participant or ‘delegate’ rep-resents a member state of the United Nations in one of the committees of the UN system. At SAIMUN there are committees dealing with is-sues such as health, politics, disarmament and the environment. Delegates representing the same state together form a ‘delegation’. In their individual committees, delegates engage in de-bate on a wide range of topics, relating to issues as diverse as international peace and security, economic cooperation and development, human rights or the protection of the environment.

The ultimate objective of every delegate is to produce, lobby support for, debate and ultimately have passed a resolution on one of the topic

areas within their committee. A resolution is the proposed solution to a problem and forms the main focus of the debate. The delegates aim is to represent the views of their country on the is-sue while at the same time making it as accept-able as possible to as many member states as possible. Those resolutions passed in commit-tees are then further discussed in the General Assembly on the final day of the conference.

As well as the St Andrew’s Model United Na-tions, the students travel overseas to attend conferences at the Royal Russell School in England and at The Hague, Netherlands. Closer to home we attend MUN events at Terenure College, Rathdown School and Wesley College here in Dublin.

The MUN experience is much more than just the conference, there is the research and preparation required beforehand, the adoption of views and attitudes other than their own, the working with new people or friends to represent a nation, the mock debates that create such a buzz down in house area 4 in the lead up to a conference, and last but not least, while at the conference itself the social aspect, where del-egates wind down after a hard day of committee work, have the opportunity to mix and mingle in the diverse MUN crowd, making new acquaint-ances and friendships that often last long after the conference has ended. But above all there is the private satisfaction and personal pride felt when a committee room or General Assembly is filled with delegates raising their placards into the air, voting for a resolution that you have researched, written, lobbied for, debated and fielded questions on.

And thus, in a small way, your MUN experience has fulfilled the aims and goals set out by the founders of the United Nations in the Preamble of the Charter:

SAIMUN explains MUN

PG 5LOBBYING 101 SAIMUN 2018

Lobbying is a crucial part of MUN where del-egates get to meet other delegates from their committee and then discuss with them the views of the country they are representing on the top-ics. In real life the lobbying process is what takes up the vast majority of any resolution preparation time and the actual debate is often a formality. In MUN we do not have the time to allow for such extended lobbying so it is important that we use the time provided to our advantage. The United Nations is not about confrontation or competition rather it is about consensus, collaboration and diplomacy. In SAIMUN there are four topics in each com-mittee. Lobbying takes place in the committee rooms and the room is divided into four, one each topic. A chair has been assigned to each topic and their role on Monday is to manage the lobbying on that topic. There is only time for each topic to be debated twice in each com-mittee so it is not ideal to have more than two resolutions submitted on each topic. The chair will indicate to the Secretariat which resolutions have had the best lobbying. Resolutions, which are well lobbied, will be viewed to generate bet-ter debate than a poorly lobbied resolution. HOW TO LOBBY By now you have chosen a topic to be your topic in each committee (some delegates may prepare resolutions on each topic but the time allocated only allows them to lobby one topic properly). Lobbying begins at 12.30pm. All delegates will give their policy statement at the beginning of lobbying. The speeches are a maximum of one minute and are effectively a lobbying proposal by each delegate. The speeches will serve as a roll call. Delegates who miss these speeches will be given an opportunity to make their policy state-ment at the beginning of committee on Tuesday morning. Delegates should be mindful of who are your allies, what countries do you have good political relations with. Are there countries you would be cautious of established ties with? Discuss with your allies your ideas for the resolution. Groups of delegates will form together to write a resolution on the topic. Everyone in the group will have their own resolution or at least clauses or ideas for a resolution.

Preambulatory clauses will define the topic to be discussed and will also include any previous UN resolutions and state any UN bodies al-ready involved in this topic. The perambulatory clauses are not debated. The operative clauses state the action planned to be taken. Please note you must use the stipulated clause phrases. Discuss the main ideas each person in the group has. Decide which ones should form the backbone of the resolution. Delegates should be aware that even though you may feel you have better clauses then someone else that you should allow them to include their ideas. This is in the spirit of consensus and diplomacy. Lobby-ing is not about getting delegates their own way, it is about including others and persuading them that the resolution as whole is a product of the entire group. A co-submitter sheet must be completed. These will be available by the chair at a certain time. Each resolution must be co-submitted by at least 12 delegations and no more than 15. There may be no more than two co-submitters from the same school on one resolution, al-though the main submitter may be from the same school as up to two of the co-submitters. Each delegation may only submit or co-submit one resolution on each topic on the agenda. At the end of this process the group must de-cide upon who they feel is the best person to present the resolution (if it is selected for debate). The fact that some students may be awarded grades for being a main submitter is not a reason for them to be selected as main submitter. It is important to note that when resolutions are selected for debate that several criteria are applied. The chief criteria this year will be the quality of lobbying by the group. Other criteria include the number of resolutions selected by a school or country. So for a group to have their resolution debated they may decide to select a good first speaker who will not be disadvan-taged by these criteria.

HOW TO LOBBY

PG 6MAP SAIMUN 2018

PG 7SAIMUN 2018MAP

PG 8PROGRAMME SAIMUN 2018

PG 9SAIMUN 2018WHERE TO GO

PG 10PUZZLES SAIMUN 2018

PG 11PUZZLES SAIMUN 2018